Peace
by Gerald Tarrant and Quicksilver
Summary: Dorothy Catalonia is released from the Libra. Having no purpose, she returns to Earth, and recieves a surprising offer from an unexpected source.


_Gundam Wing is property of Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asahi. Sainan no Kekka and all original characters and plot copyright 2000 by Quicksilver and Gerald Tarrant. Please ask permission before reposting._

  
**SHIN KIDOU SENKI GUNDAM WING**

SAINAN NO KEKKA  
Peace: Dorothy

_There is is a time for everything,  
A season for every activity under heaven...  
....A time to love and a time to hate.  
A time for war and a time for peace.  
--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8_

  
She stepped out onto the hot tarmac, squinting in the bright light of the noon day sun. It was hot out today; hot enough that if she cracked an egg open on the pavement it would cook itself. Her clothes stuck to her uncomfortably, and she made a mental note to have the servants pick her up a wardrobe more appropriate for the summer climate, rather then the heavier outfits she had worn in space. Then she sighed at such frivolous thoughts. A month ago she had been one of the most wanted renegades in space- now she was reduced to worrying about how proper her pantsuit was.

_How the mighty have fallen_, Dorothy Catalonia thought with little humor. It had been thanks to the fact that her family had still retained enough power inside of the newly forming World Nation that she had been able to avoid punishment for her crimes during the war. She would have preferred execution, in a way. At least that would have been honest, something she had earned for herself.

For a few exciting weeks, she had been her own person- not a shadow of her grandfather, not a pawn of the Romefeller Foundation, but Dorothy Catalonia, member of White Fang, controller of the Mobile Dolls. Now she was once again reduced to being nothing but one of the minions of those in power, and she didn't like it. She didn't like not being in control of her own fate… after all, wasn't that what the war had been fought for? The right to make your own path, to show others that peace was an illusive dream? What fun was there left in a world that believed that it had put aside fighting for the rest of eternity?

Where was the passion that was so much a part of human nature? When would people realize that war was a part of themselves, like the constant ebb and flow of the tides?

_"Catastrophe and murder can't be blamed on war! We must overpower the enemy that lies within our hearts!"_

People made her sick. Hypocrites. Celebrating how things had changed without realizing that things were the same. She had been one of the ringleaders of White Fang, yet had gotten off without punishment because of her noble birth and connections. Others, people who had followed the orders she herself had given, were in jail, awaiting trials from a backlogged court that really wasn't sure what the rules were in the new order of things. Lady Une, a woman who had staged the assassinations that had started it all, was in charge of justice!

_"Taking away all the weapons won't stop wars. You have to change the hearts of the people...."_

Dorothy remembered the feel of the security device she had worn around her ankle on the Peacemillion almost longingly. They had known she was dangerous, the pilots had; they had recognized her strength, recognized that though her cause may have been gone, she was still a worthy opponent. Then they had trustingly turned her over to the World Nation, and within twenty four hours, her mother had pulled enough strings to make her a free woman. 

She remembered with biting clarity the look of trust in Quatre's blue eyes as he supervised her transfer. He hadn't pressed charges against her for assault on his illustrious personage, and she wasn't sure if she was grateful or not. He'd shrugged his wounding off as part of the war, a proper attitude for a soldier, but she resented his easy forgiveness. Couldn't he work up at least a little scorn for the woman who had made him into living shishkabob?

"Good luck, Dorothy," he said in his light voice, smiling at her. The smile lit up his pale features, and she was struck by the fact that he was prettier then she was. It really wasn't fair.

She nodded. "How's your side?" she asked.

"Healing. I'll have a nice scar, but when you consider how many scars the others have, I think I'm lucky. You missed anything vital."

"It wasn't intentional," she answered dryly.

His crooked grin surprised her. "I'm sure. Remember what I said, Dorothy," he said as the troops from the newly-formed Preventers took her into custody. Twenty hours later, she was on a flight for Sydney, which had the only spaceport that wasn't blocked by bad weather. The entire world was plagued by unusual weather patterns, something Dorothy would have wagered was from the sudden influx of unnatural meteors.

She would have preferred to return to her homeland immediately, without having to wait, but for now she was stuck on the wrong side of the world, free thanks to favors her mother had collected on her behalf. She was sure Emily would make her pay for it later, but… she intended to enjoy it.

Ridiculous. It was absurd- didn't the world recognize that letting her loose was a potential dangerous thing? Stupid fools. She was sure that Chang Wufei or Duo Maxwell wouldn't be happy when they learned what had happened, but Wufei had already gone missing, and Duo was wrapped up in his girlfriend, who was slowly recovering from nearly getting smushed inside of her Leo. Dratted girl- now Hilde Schbeiker had been a soldier. Sneaking into the Libra to steal plans, then returning the data to the Peacemillion, risking her own life in the process. It was something that fascinated Dorothy. She really wished that she had gotten a chance to know the other girl- a fellow rebel. Duo, though, wouldn't let her within a corridor's range of his precious Hilde. It was sort of amusing how one of the Gundam pilots was putty in a girl's hands.

"Dorothy?" a voice said, and she jerked out of her reverie.

"Yes?" she asked, turning around. Her eyes widened as recognized Une, head of the Preventers.

Une was wearing the new uniform of the Preventers. Dorothy wondered who had designed it; it lacked the flair of the Old uniforms of Oz, yet something about it appealed to Dorothy's sense of aesthetics. The uniform commanded respect, yet it was made to be worked in, rather then admired. The dark color would hide dirt better then any of the frippery Oz had given their soldiers. "Can I have a moment of your time?" she asked.

Dorothy was curious in spite of herself. "I just arrived," she said coolly. "Can't it wait?"

Une shook her head, the long brown hair flowing over her collar. She didn't seem at all bothered by the heat, even in her long-sleeved uniform. "No, unfortunately, it can't. I have to leave in two hours for Calcutta, but I wanted to speak to you before you left."

Dorothy brushed her hair back, wishing she had had the forethought to tie it out of the way. It was clinging to the back of her neck, and she wanted a shower more then anything in the world. Her obsession with cleanliness, again. "What do you want?" Dorothy asked brusquely.

"Can we speak in private? My car is right over there," Une said, indicating a large white limousine with an elegant wave of her hand. 

Dorothy's curiosity got the best of her. She nodded her assent, and the older woman led her to the vehicle. A chauffeur hopped out of the front and opened the door eagerly.

They slid onto the leather seats, and Dorothy was hot by the cool burst of air. Une smiled as Dorothy smiled in relief. "It is rather hot here," Une said, obviously making small talk. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Orange juice," Dorothy said. Alcohol this early in the day would throw her off, and she wanted her wits about her. Une was a canny woman, and there was no telling what she wanted. Une opened the mini bar and fished out a can. Dorothy used the distraction to observe the woman who had been her cousin's second in command.

Une seemed to have aged in the two weeks since the war had passed. A week ago, she had started a new organization know as the Preventers to act as the world's military and police force, and the strain of the undertaking was taking its toll on her. There were circles under her eyes that were carefully concealed by makeup, yet Dorothy had been trained to look for the signs. _Always seek out the state of your opponents_, her grandfather had told her. _If they have a weakness, exploit it._

Une handed her the glass back. "I'll be frank with you, I wouldn't be here if Sally Po hadn't insisted. I know you're - were - Treize's cousin, but I don't trust you."

Dorothy smiled pleasantly. Une knew how to play politics with the best of them, so it was remarkable that the woman had decided on the blunt approach. Dorothy found her curiosity piqued. "Why would you have to trust me?" she asked in pleasant tones. She took a sip of juice, pleased at the slightly acidic taste. She hated it when juice was too sweet.

Une hit the button that caused the privacy glass to slide up between them and the driver, then leaned forward. "Because I'm here to offer you a position in the Preventers organization."

Dorothy was shocked. It was rare that something caught her completely off guard, but Une had just done so. "You're WHAT?" she demanded, questioning her hearing. Une couldn't have just said what she did.

Une's frank eyes met hers. "I'm offering you a position in the Preventers- with the rank of, say, first lieutenant. I've been spending the last week recruiting some of the brightest talent left over from the war, and you certainly qualify. It would be a crime to let it go waste, Dorothy."

"It's funny you should use the word 'crime.' Need I remind you that until recently I was a prisoner on the Peacemillion for my actions?"

Une wasn't at all flustered. "No. But for peace to be achieved and maintained, we have to set aside the prejudices and grudges the past gave us. I've been gathering the best of the best, regardless of prior affiliation. White Fang, Oz, Federation, rebel- it doesn't matter.

"I must admit to certain political motives for seeking you out. You're the highest-ranking officer of White Fang remaining, since Quinze and Zechs died. To obtain your services would be quite a coup for the Preventers, and show the Colonies that we do indeed intend to keep our promises."

Dorothy frowned thoughtfully. Once again she was reduced to playing the pawn in the game of politics, and she hated that. She wanted to be in control of her own destiny, not manipulated because of the whims of others. She spun her glass around in her hands as she considered her options.

First, she could accept. Doing so would guarantee that she was still in the political arena, still a figure in the public eye. Her mother would not be happy, but that might be well-worth it. She loved Emily, but sometimes she felt as though Emily would trade her in for a more feminine model without a second's hesitation.

Her other option was to decline- but what would that mean? Going back to being a lady, running her estates? She had never done what was conventional, so really had no idea what kind of life that was.

A life of peace...

"Lady Une- what is peace?" she asked suddenly.

Une looked surprised at the seemingly random thought, and replied cautiously. "Peace.. it's what we were fighting for. It's the absence of war."

War... how Dorothy had adored war. But now... it had taken away everything, and she had nothing to show for it. "That can't be right," she mused, tapping her chin as she considered it. "If that was what peace was, we wouldn't be fighting for it- it seems rather silly, don't you think?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. Peace IS the absence of war- it's the by-the-book definition."

Dorothy smiled and started to muse aloud. "You know, how often is life by-the-book?" she asked. "And it's stupid that we were fighting for something we didn't know. How do we know if it's going to be worth it?" She smiled, and for once her smile didn't contain any of her usual sarcasm. "I think I'll have to turn you down for now, Une. I wish you luck, but... I can't fight for something I don't know. Maybe someday..."

Une nodded slowly. "The offer is open should you ever decide to accept."

Dorothy handed the glass back. "And I thank you for that. Who knows? I may decide I hate it... and it's nice to have the option open. I wish you luck." With that, she pulled on the handle and opened the door.

As she stepped out of Une's limousine, a gust of wind from the east lifted her hair off the nape of her neck. She smiled and stretched slowly, enjoying the sun.

_My goodness, it's beautiful today_, she thought with pleasure. _Perhaps now, there is a chance for me to explore peace... and find out what it means. After all, there would always be another chance for a war... and if there is, I'll be in the thick of it._

  



End file.
